As 2021 draws to a close, we have to say it's been a rather mixed year all around. COVID-19 is still a threat, but nowhere near the threat it was at this time last year. Sane people have gotten vaccinated three times while the lunatic fringe still endangers us all by refusing to get even one "Fauci ouchie." And we seem to all be very slowly learning the letters of the Greek alphabet, as Delta may now be giving way to Omicron. So we're not out of the coronavirus woods yet.
But please remember at this time last year, nobody had been vaccinated, while now 82 percent of Americans age 12 and over have at least gotten their first shot and 70 percent have been fully vaccinated. We've obviously not quite yet reached the fabled "herd immunity" but we are getting a lot closer to that goal, at least.
Also a comfort is the fact that sane and rational individuals are running the federal government, instead of narcissistic lunatics and grifters and insurrectionists. The year started off with one of the most shocking events in modern American history, as a mob of conspiracy theorists and Trump cultists tried to stop Congress from finalizing the presidential election. Some of them are now in jail, while prosecutions continue. Granted, the leaders of this movement are still walking around free, but at least their attempt at overthrowing the government failed. That's something to be thankful for, obviously.
I have to say it has been a lot easier to write about politics this year than for the past four years. There have been frustrations and disappointments, of course, but they are all well within the normal range of political maneuvering instead of being batpoop crazy. That's a definite improvement, and it makes it a lot easier to sit down every day and write about current political events. At some points, I've actually been bored with the slow pace of things happening in Washington -- a statement I have honestly not made since Barack Obama was sitting in the Oval Office. So there's that, too.
Behind the scenes here at ChrisWeigant.com, things have been improving. We're using a new computer that isn't 20 years old, the office has been completely redone and revamped (a COVID project that has taken all year and is still not complete, but is nearing the finish line at least), and the process of reading and commenting on the news has improved greatly.
However, this hasn't been without its drawbacks. Due to the amount of time it has taken (as well as my inherent laziness), I have been severely remiss in answering the comments section this year. I do apologize and promise to make an effort to improve -- my first new year's resolution. You readers deserve better, I realize, so mea culpa maxima for falling down on the job so much.
Nobody's perfect, right?
But at least I have a much better outlook on next year, no matter what happens in the midterm congressional elections. I haven't thought about just walking away from blogging at all this year, which (again) is more than I can say for the previous four. So I am fully committed to providing reality-based commentary for all of 2022.
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